Sunday I will fly AA from STL to ORD and then take Iberia ORD to MAD. I was thinking that I would check my bag through to ORD. Pick up the bag and check it in again with Iberia, just to make sure it gets that far. Or am I obsessing? Should I just check it through? (Both flights are ticketed together).

Hi GB,

It is much better to check your luggage through.

Bring a change of underwear in your carryon.

Yes, you are obsessing. Do you realy WANT to wait for the bag to come off the plane, go back and stand in line to check it, go back through Security again, etc.?

Ira has given the best advice IMO.

I have just returned from europe where we flew into Madrid and out of Rome to come back home. We had 3 connections each way, and although I was concerned that we would certainly end up missing at least one piece of luggage somewhere along the way, they all got there and all came back home. We are talking about 6 and 8 pcs of luggage.
Check it all through, you will be glad not to have the hassle as you travel.

Let's consider where and when you checked bags can be lost.

1. At STL, when they fail to get on the AA flight.

2. At ORD, when they fail to make the connection.

Now, if your bags would get lost at STL, then do you really want to know when you get to ORD that your vacation has already be ruined, when they didn't show at the carousel? And what can you really do about that at that time? Basically nothing.

Now, if your bags would get lost at ORD, it may be due to tight connection (like your AA flight is delayed). In that case, having the bags come up to the carousel, and then have to recheck them, really do not help your chances.

In short, there's nothing to be gained by checking the bags only to ORD and then recheck them with Iberia.

Thanks,
I will check it through. I was kinda worried that I might have something in my carryon that Iberia wouldn't like and I thought if I had my checked bag, I could it in there. But then, carryon is inspected after the checked luggage dissapears into the black hole, so that doesn't help me anyway.

Oh, and even if I did find in ORD that my bag had been lost it wouldn't ruin my vacation. I am determined to have a fantastic time even if the bag gets lost or it rains all the time. If the bag is able to keep up with me and it doesn't rain, I am way ahead.

>If the bag is able to keep up with me and it doesn't rain, I am way ahead.<

A good attitude, GB.

If you follow the "rules" as they stand at that very SECOND about carry-ons and remain flexible, short of a dead body there isn't going to be anything in your baggage that Iberia "doesn't like."

Have a GREAT trip.

If you had checked your bags to Chicago and they didn't make it there on your flight, then when they did get found, I'm thinking the bags would be sent to Chicago and you'd be in Madrid. This would at the very least add time to their catching up with you.

I wouldn't do it anyway, as others said, but I'm not sure the airline would even allow you to do that (check a bag to a point where you are not departing from the airline). Besides, if you miss checking it in the second time, you are really out of luck, whereas if it misses the connection due to timing, the airline is responsible for finally getting it to your hotel.